An Onitsha-based rights
activist, Mr Emeka Umuagbalasi, last Tuesday urged the Federal Government to invest more on intelligence gathering and training for security agencies.
Umuagbalasi told newsmen in Onitsha that the current insurgency in the country had exposed the poor use of information and communication technology for intelligence gathering among the security agencies.
“Before now, the government concentrated on recruiting more hands, buying more machines, sub-machine guns and rifles as well as jet-fighters for security agencies.
“These have been counter-productive in an informal or guerrilla warfare and the insurgents capitalised on it to operate,’’ he said.
The activist noted that the guerrilla warfare deployed by the insurgents could only be checked with intelligence and technology.
He said that insurgency-prone countries now deployed technology even at a low cost in addition to conventional military hardware.
“Insurgency in the country is surmountable as many other countries of the world had triumphed over this type of predicament.
“Basic and modern intelligence devices and detectors working in conjunction with territorial and space satellites could work the magic of monitoring insurgents even in remote locations.
“We need to reassess our campaigns against insurgents for three years now and refocus our energy in more pro-active and productive measure of combating terrorism in its entire ramification,’’ he said.
Umuagbalasi, who is the Chairman of the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, called on the government to improve on the training of military, police and para-military personnel on ICT and ICT-related technologies and intelligence gathering.